• Marie-Julia Guittier, Francis Guillemin, Edith Brandao Farinelli, Olivier Irion, Michel Boulvain, and de TejadaBegoña MartinezBM.
• 1 University of Applied Sciences Western Switzerland , Geneva, Switzerland .
• J Altern Complement Med. 2013 Oct 1; 19 (10): 820-5.

ObjectiveTo assess the effectiveness of hypnosis to reduce pain and facilitate external cephalic version (ECV).DesignCohort study.SettingGeneva University Hospitals, Switzerland.Participants63 women attempting ECV under hypnosis from 2010 to 2011 were compared with 122 women who received standard care from 2005 through 2008.InterventionImmediately after the ECV attempt, both groups completed the same questionnaire evaluating the participants' pain (visual analogue and verbal rating scales) and experience with the procedure. Physicians also completed a questionnaire that elicited their views on the effect of hypnosis on the intervention. A chi-squared test was used to compare differences in proportions, and the Mann-Whitney U test was used for differences in continuous variables. A thematic content analysis of the obstetricians' responses to the open question regarding their experience of hypnotist accompaniment was also performed.Outcome MeasuresPain evaluated by women (visual analogue and verbal rating scales) and success rate of ECV.ResultsPain intensity reported by women did not significantly differ between the hypnosis group and the standard care group (visual analogue scale score, 6.0 versus 6.3, respectively; p=.25; difference for verbal rating scale, p=0.31. In 72% of cases, physicians reported that hypnosis facilitated the procedure. The success rates in both groups were not significantly different (30% with hypnosis compared with 38% without; p=.31). Most women in both groups found the ECV attempt painful and a source of anxiety but would undergo it again if necessary.ConclusionHypnosis accompaniment during ECV does not reduce pain intensity associated with the procedure or improve the probability of a successful version.

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